Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, yesterday,challenged African archivists to embrace digital innovation and intensify efforts to reclaim stolen cultural artefacts, as he officially opened the 28thEastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA)conference, in Victoria Falls.
Addressing delegates from across the region, the President emphasised that archives serve as vital repositories of Africa’s memory and identity but warned that climate change and technological gaps threaten their preservation.
“This year’s Conference theme, ‘Archives are Accessible – Archives for Everyone’, is apt and highlights the need to also ensure that archives are accessible and valuable to all, not just specialised researchers or historians. This is in sync with Zimbabwe’s development mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” the President declared endorsing the conference theme, while urging archivists to adopt inclusive strategies that reach grassroots communities.
President Mnangagwa highlighted Zimbabwe’s progress in digitising public records through its Electronic Document and Records Management System but stressed the urgency of bridging the digital divide.
“In this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the attendant deployment of ICT-enabled platforms, accessibility to information is now a necessity, which must be facilitated by institutions, such as yourselves. Our archival institutions and professionals must navigate the digital space while guaranteeing that access and security of archival collections is enhanced,” he said.
The President issued a rallying cry for the repatriation of Africa’s cultural artefacts looted during colonialism, framing it as a matter of continental dignity.
“The claim that we are an independent and sovereign continent as well as masters of our own destiny will be truly actualised when we close the information gap within our historiography. Africa has a duty to tell its story, recount our history and preserve our own culture, ourselves. The narratives peddled from quarters external to the continent must be corrected, while all illegally transferred cultural artefacts are returned to us, its rightful owners,” he asserted.
He commended ESARBICA’s role in preserving oral histories and documents, which counter foreign-dominated narratives of Africa’s past.
Climate change emerged as a critical concern, with President Mnangagwa noting how cyclones, floods, and droughts endanger physical archives.
He called for sustainable preservation methods aligned with global climate protocols, urging archivists to prioritise disaster-resistant infrastructure.
The conference, attended by ministers, archivists, and traditional leaders from across the region, sets the stage for collaborations on digitisation, community-based archiving, and policy reforms.
The event underscored Zimbabwe’s push to position itself as a leader in archival innovation while amplifying Africa’s demands for cultural restitution—a dual mission that could reshape how the continent safeguards its history in the digital age.
